Uni-sex multi-sport footwear accessory

ABSTRACT

The uni-sex multi-sport footwear accessory is a flexible accessory shaped as an ankle band for use as an indicia-displaying device, and, includes an upper band adapted to encircle a wearer&#39;s lower leg, side straps depending from the upper band, a middle section adapted to encircle a wearer&#39;s ankle and a lower band dimensioned to extend beneath a wearer&#39;s foot. The upper band has several display areas with which to display indicia such as logos, team names and the like. The footwear accessory may have one or a number of fasteners located on various areas of the accessory, or the fasteners) may be omitted altogether. The footwear accessory may be reversible.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to footwear accessories, and particularly to a footwear accessory that ornamentally displays indicia.

2. Description of the Related Art

Decorative displays on shirts, shoes, and other such products that may be worn by consumers have become a prosperous facet of the clothing industry. Once plain shirts now often feature elaborate designs of famous artists, and virtually every sport-related item of clothing now displays a professional team's or sporting company's logo. There are few additional avenues left for visual displays that may be worn on items of clothing, sportswear or the like. While some clothing items that do not immediately lend themselves to displaying ornamental designs have incorporated such designs on the item of clothing, new clothing items do not abound.

In addition, although there are various items of clothing such as ankle braces, shoes, etc. that may be placed on feet or around ankles, these items are used for therapeutic purposes, generally to support the feet and ankles. They are designed to restrict movement of the ankle and foot, thus to prevent injuries. However, there are no footwear accessories, the sole purpose of which is ornamental display of indicia.

Accordingly, there is a need for a footwear accessory used to display indicia.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,792,087, issued Aug. 11, 1998 to J. Pringle, describes an ankle brace that controls pivotal movement of the foot about the ankle joint. The ankle brace includes a support member, an upper cuff and braces extended on either side of the user's leg. In addition, stop members are utilized to control pivotal movement of the foot about the ankle in order to prevent injury.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,902,259, issued May 11, 1999 to G. Wilkerson, describes a therapeutic ankle orthosis that permits pivotal movement of the foot about the ankle joint. A medial and a foot shell overlap and are pivotally connected to allow for movement by a user. Multiple straps are used to secure the shells to each other and about the foot and ankle. Additionally, the therapeutic ankle orthosis increases the compression effect on ankle tissues in order to control swelling.

U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. US 2003/0083603 A1, published May 1, 2003 and invented by R. Nelson, describes a bootlike ankle brace allowing flexion and extension while preventing certain injury-causing movements, such as inversion, twisting and the like. The brace allows the user to place his foot within it and is laced together through eyelets in ends of the brace. The brace is constructed with a medial member and a lateral member that receive the user's ankle and foot, respectively. The ankle brace is designed to limit certain types of movement by the user.

U.S. Pat. No. Des. 335,000, issued Apr. 20, 1993 to K. Johnson, shows a knee protector having indicia thereon.

Other patents showing clothing items displaying indicia thereon include U.S. Pat. No. Des. 339,671, issued Sep. 28, 1993 to R. Manning (foot case cover); U.S. Pat. No. Des. 377,241, issued Jan. 7, 1997 to P. Kenner (face shield for winter outdoor activities).

Other patents showing ankle bands or similar include U.S. Pat. No. Des. 417,036, issued Nov. 23, 1999 to L. Hamowy (combined knee and elbow pad); U.S. Pat. No. Des. 417,933, issued Dec. 21, 1999 to S. Hanley et al. (combined knee and elbow pads); U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. US 2002/0029009 A1, published Mar. 7, 2002 and invented by G. Bowman (rigid ankle and foot orthosis); U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. US 2003/0153857 A1, published Aug. 14, 2003 and invented by F. McCarthy et al. (pneumatic achilles sleeve); U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. US 2003/0171706 A1, published Sep. 11, 2003 and invented by R. Nelson (adjustable size ankle brace); U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. US 2003/0233062 A1, published Dec. 18, 2003 and invented by S. McCormick et al. (nonbulky ankle brace for use with footwear)

Additional patents showing ankle bands include U.S. Pat. No. 1,624,266, issued Apr. 12, 1927 to M. Luder (ankle brace); U.S. Pat. No. 4,753,229, issued Jun. 28, 1988 to T. Sutherland (ankle brace); U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,094, issued Jul. 4, 1989 to T. Grim (ankle brace); U.S. Pat. No. 5,014,691, issued May 14, 1991 to G. Cueman et al. (ankle brace with densified batting); U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,478, issued Feb. 18, 1992 to T. Grim (gel and air cushion ankle brace); U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,232, issued Mar. 10, 1992 to D. Harris et al. (ankle brace with floating pivot hinge); U.S. Pat. No. 5,366,439, issued Nov. 22, 1994 to R. Peters (ankle brace with bubble cushioning); U.S. Pat. No. 5,620,413, issued Apr. 15, 1997 to D. Olson (combination ankle brace and wrap); U.S. Pat. No. 5,944,678, issued Aug. 31, 1999 to C. Hubbard (ankle brace); U.S. Pat. No. 5,944,679, issued Aug. 31, 1999 to W. DeToro (adjustable ankle and foot orthosis brace); U.S. Pat. No. 6,053,884, issued Apr. 25, 2000 to R. Peters (ankle brace with cuff); U.S. Pat. No. 6,652,474 B1, issued Nov. 25, 2003 to P. Quinn et al. (ankle brace); U.S. Pat. No. 6,689,081 B2, issued Feb. 10, 2004 to G. Bowman (rigid ankle and foot orthosis); PCT Intl. Pat. No. WO 99/02109, published Jan. 21, 1999 and invented by C. Neal (ankle brace); and U.K. Pat. No. GB 2 370 230 A, published Jun. 26, 2002 and invented by A. Bourne et al.

Although the related art addresses braces situated about an ankle and items of clothing on which indicia is shown, what is needed is a comfortable, flexible accessory item that provides for display of various marks and indicia. What is further needed is a footwear accessory that serves to display items and does not limit the user's ankle or foot movement. Such an accessory should fit with ease within a shoe and serve merely as a clothing item providing for ornamental display of team logos, names, etc.

None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a uni-sex multi-sport accessory solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The uni-sex multi-sport footwear accessory is a flexible accessory shaped as an ankle band for use as an indicia-displaying device. The multi-sport accessory includes an upper band adapted to encircle a wearer's lower leg, side straps depending from the upper band, a middle section adapted to encircle a wearer's ankle and a lower band dimensioned to extend beneath a wearer's foot. The middle section and lower band define several openings with which to situate a user's foot. The upper band has several display strips with which to display indicia such as logos, team names and the like. When the footwear accessory is pulled onto the foot and a shoe is put on over the accessory, the upper band of the footwear accessory is visible over the shoe and provides a clear display of the indicia.

The footwear accessory may consist of one or a multitude of fasteners located on various areas of the accessory, including the upper band and the middle section of the flexible body. Additionally, it may omit the fastener, requiring the user to slip the footwear accessory over the user's foot.

The upper band, side straps, middle section and lower band define openings in the footwear accessory the purpose of which is to allow the upper band to resemble a wrist band in terms of aesthetic construction. In alternate embodiments, the design of the footwear accessory may be slightly modified by adding openings in the upper band. The additional openings serve merely as a variation on the aesthetic construction of the footwear accessory.

Additionally, the flexible body of the footwear accessory may be reversible, having indicia on either side of the flexible body. Further, the display strips may be detachable.

Advantageously, the uni-sex multi-sport footwear accessory is a lightweight, flexible accessory designed to fit comfortably within a user's shoe. It is not bulky nor does it require an elaborate, sturdy construction as it is not intended for use as a therapeutic ankle brace. The footwear accessory does not limit movement of the ankle in order to protect the ankle against injury-causing twisting movements. It is intended only as an accessory item that allows for the display of a team logo or similar indicia. The footwear accessory is a unique clothing item that may be used to compliment team uniforms or identify individual athletic players.

It is an aspect of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.

These and other aspects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a footwear accessory according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an elevational side view of the footwear accessory as shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an elevational side view of a footwear accessory according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an elevational side view of a footwear accessory according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an elevational side view of a footwear accessory according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an elevational side view of a footwear accessory according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is an indicia displaying footwear accessory, designated generally as 10 in the drawings. The footwear accessory 10 is made up of a flexible body 12 of unitary construction. The footwear accessory 10 is designed to fit around a user's ankle and foot. An upper band 14 is adapted to encircle a user's lower leg above the ankle, and display indicia thereon as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, the flexible body 12 of the footwear accessory 10 includes an upper band 14, side straps 16, a middle section 18, and a lower band 20. The upper band 14 contains multiple display strips 30 for use in displaying indicia, such as logos, team names, etc. The upper band 14 includes a buckle fastener 40 consisting of a buckle 42 and strips of hook and loop fastening material 44 used in combination for attaching two ends of the upper band 14 to each other. The side straps 16 depend from the upper band 14. The middle section 18 of the flexible body 12 is integrally connected to the side straps 16. The middle section 18 encircles a user's ankle. The lower band 20 is integrally connected to the middle section 18 of the flexible body 12. The lower band 20 is dimensioned to extend beneath a user's foot, between a user's heel, and a front portion of the user's foot.

The upper band 14, side straps 16 and middle section 18 of the flexible body 12 define a plurality of middle openings 32. The middle section 18 of the flexible body 12 and the lower band 20 define a lower front opening 34 to allow for placement of the front portion of the user's foot and a lower back opening 36 to allow for placement of the user's heel. A stiffener 50 provides support along the side straps 16 for the flexible body 12. The flexible body 12 of the footwear accessory 10 may be made from a synthetic material.

Turning now to FIG. 2, the footwear accessory 10 is shown, partially within a user's shoe and partially outside of a user's shoe. The middle section 18 of the flexible body 12 and the lower band 20 are situated within the user's shoe. The side straps 16 and the upper band 14 with display strips 30 generally lie above the shoe on a lower portion of the user's leg such that the display strips 30 are not obstructed by the user's shoe.

FIG. 3 shows an alternative embodiment of footwear accessory 10. Upper band 14, side straps 16, middle section 18 of the flexible body 12, and lower band 20 are shown. In addition, the upper band 14 contains a plurality of upper openings 60 used for aesthetic appeal, situated between the display strips 30.

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the footwear accessory 10. The upper band 14 includes multiple display strips 30 to show indicia. The upper band 14 does not include a fastener. The middle section 18 includes a front hook and loop fastener 46 for fastening two sides of the middle section 18 to each other. The front hook and loop fastener 46 has strips of hook and loop fastening material that provide for attachment between two ends of the middle section 18 of the flexible body.

FIG. 5 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention. The upper band 14 contains a buckle fastener 40 to attach two ends of the upper band 14 to each other and the middle section 18 contains a rear hook and loop fastener 48 to attach two ends of the middle band 18 to each other.

FIG. 6 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention. At least one zipper 70 is situated on the footwear accessory 10 from the middle section 18, up at least one side strap 16 and ending at the upper band 14.

Additionally, the flexible body 12 may be reversible, with indicia displayed on display strips 30 situated on either side of the flexible body 12 (not shown). The display strips 30 may be detachable from the flexible body 12, using hook and loop fastening material to attach it onto the flexible body.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims. 

1. A footwear accessory for use in displaying indicia, comprising: a flexible body of unitary construction, said flexible body comprising: an upper band adapted to encircle a user's lower leg, said upper band having an outer surface with indicia displayed thereon; a plurality of side straps depending from the upper band; a middle section of the flexible body integrally connected to the side straps, said middle section capable of encircling a user's ankle; and a lower band integrally connected to the middle section of the flexible body, said lower band being dimensioned to extend beneath a user's foot.
 2. The footwear accessory of claim 1, wherein the outer surface of said upper band has at least one display portion.
 3. The footwear accessory of claim 2, wherein the display portions are detachable.
 4. The footwear accessory of claim 3, wherein the display portions are attached to the flexible body with a plurality of hook and loop fastening strips.
 5. The footwear accessory of claim 1, said upper band having a first end and a second end, the accessory further comprising a fastener for attaching said first end of said upper band to said second end of said upper band.
 6. The footwear accessory of claim 5, wherein said fastener is a combination of a plurality of hook and loop fastening strips and a buckle.
 7. The footwear accessory of claim 1, said middle section having a first end and a second end, said accessory further comprising a fastening assembly for attaching end of said middle section.
 8. The footwear accessory of claim 7, wherein said fastening assembly comprises hook and loop fastening strips.
 9. The footwear accessory of claim 1, further comprising a zipper fastener.
 10. The footwear accessory of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of fasteners on the flexible body.
 11. The footwear accessory of claim 1, wherein the side straps includes a stiffener in the flexible body.
 12. The footwear accessory of claim 11, wherein the stiffener is a plastic insert.
 13. The footwear accessory of claim 1, wherein the upper band contains a plurality of openings.
 14. The footwear accessory of claim 1, wherein the upper band, the side straps and the middle section are dimensioned and configured to define a plurality of openings.
 15. The footwear accessory of claim 1, wherein the middle section and the lower band are dimensioned and configured to define a lower front opening for placement of a user's foot and a lower back opening for placement of a user's heel.
 16. The footwear accessory of claim 1, wherein the flexible body is a synthetic material.
 17. The footwear accessory of claim 1, wherein the flexible body is reversible. 